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The Ponderosa

100%

· South Pittsburg, Marion, Tennessee

5 acres hosted by Jan R.

1 RV/tent site · 2 tent sites

Family-friendly

Recent Hipcampers say this Hipcamp is great for families and kids.

Jan is a Star Host

Star Hosts are highly rated, responsive, and committed to providing incredible experiences.

Creature comforts

Enjoy the comforts of home—including flush toilets, showers, and a kitchen.

PLEASE READ before you book! PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT! Pool closes the second weekend of Sept. 2025 we will have a brand new pavilion in pool area! WE WILL BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION BUT IT WILL NOT INTERRUPT OUR HIPPIES STAY. We rent our pool out on weekends but if you would like to have it while you are here let us know and we will rent it to you if it's not booked. $300 all day We look forward to seeing everyone! See Lodge cast iron factory. Enjoy our small town. We're close to Rock City and the Chattanooga choo choo and other great sites in Chattanooga Tn. Enjoy our swimming pool that opens in Late May but closes on the first cold snap, usually end of Sept every fall. Many amenities such as bathhouse, free Wi-Fi, grill, corn hole game and fire pit with wood. South Pittsburg, Tn is the home of Lodge Cast iron! Every year there is a National Cornbread Festival. Bring a tent and stay with us! POSITIVES OF STAYING WITH US 1. We will treat you like family. 2. We supply firewood. 3. We supply gas for the grill. 4. The pool is yours at no charge if there is no party scheduled. 5. We have free coffee in our pool area kitchen. A small refrigerator and a microwave. 6. HOT SHOWERS!! shampoo, conditioner, soap, towels and washcloths provided. 7. Bathroom and sink 8. Back porch to relax on if you choose to. 9. Free Wi-Fi 10. Kayaking in area. 11. Hiking trails all over the Jasper Highlands! very close to us. 12. We have two horses you can pet and spend time with, but don't turn your back on the brown one! she will bite your butt! lol! (This should've been in the negatives, lol!!) Here are the NEGATIVES OF STAYING AT THE PONDEROSA 1. We have 5 German shepherds in a kennel that will welcome you upon your arrival with barking. They settle down eventually. 2. We have a nosy Monkey named Daisy Mae who watches our campers and pool parties continually. 3. We rent our pool out so it may not always be available to you when you're here and the bathroom is shared with them during your stay. 4. Our property is across the street from a scrap metal yard that opens too early.

Activities

Biking

Boating

Fishing

Hiking

Natural features

Beach

Lake

River, stream, or creek

Waterfall

100%

88 ratings · 56 reviews

Kristin K.recommends

October 14, 2024

The Running Deer

Family-Friendly , Safe Campsite

This was a safe-feeling and family-friendly location in a neighborhood and with a nice view. They gave us firewood, which was really kind of them, and there was a bathroom and small kitchen area. There were dogs that barked occasionally during the night, and figuring out the exact location where we were supposed to camp was a little confusing: as we were setting up our tent, we were told we were in the wrong location, though there wasn't any signage anywhere, but they were really nice about it and let us stay where we were. Overall, it was a really nice stay.

Meredith H.recommends

October 7, 2024

The Running Deer

A gem

We thoroughly enjoyed our almost week long stay at the Ponderosa! Jan and Richard are perfect hosts! Since we were the only campers at the time, they let us set up wherever we wanted. Our original spots were in the pasture, where we noticed there were several horse droppings closeby. We opted to be a little closer to the bathroom and coffee/fridge room, so that we wouldn’t catch any of the droppings on our shoes. If you don’t plan on going to the pool much or the bath/coffee room a ton, you may prefer being further away from the house, in the pasture. Jan and Richard immediately treated us like family and were very welcoming. They went above and beyond to make us feel at home. We couldn’t believe Al the things they provided for us as part of the stay! (Again, above and beyond) They even kept the pool open a little longer for the season so our kids could enjoy it. The kids said it was the highlight to our stay there. I’m thankful we found this gem of a spot! It’s about 40 minutes from Chattanooga (such a beautiful city), which we visited twice during our stay. We also found Foster Falls closeby, hiked to the waterfall and swam in the cold mountain water. It was amazing! We visited the Lodge store (located in their town) while there! It was neat and had great deals! There’s tons to do there and in the surrounding areas! We felt safe, relaxed and loved during our stay!

Daniel H.recommends

October 4, 2024

The Beavers Dam

Awesome!!!

Jan and Rich are awesome. So kind and generous, always checking in with us to see if we need anything at all. The pool was amazing and clean. The horses are beautiful and the boys got to feed them!

Mildred M.recommends

July 9, 2024

The Beavers Dam

Excellent hosts. Beautiful and clean facilities. They have horses and a cute monkey 🐒 girl named Daisy. I would stay there again.

Chris W.recommends

June 20, 2024

The Running Deer

Resort masquerading as a Hipcamp

I was passing through the area visiting some of the historical sites. Jan's hospitality was so nice, I wanted to stay there and not go adventuring. Her farm is set on the edge of town and has more of a small resort feel instead of a hipcamp. In the evening, she invited me to sit around her pool with neighbors and friends to enjoy the evening. They all made me feel like I had known them for years instead of just drove up. At the end of the day, I was still able to enjoy my campsite on the edge of the forest. She even had firewood stacked and ready for me to use!! The next morning, a hot shower and a cup of coffee around the pool while I did my morning reading just added to the resort feel. What made it better was I had the whole place to myself!! Jan could not have been a more gracious host. If you are looking for a small resort that happens to also be a hipcamp, you could not ask for a better place. I HIGHLY recommend a stay with Jan!!

Renee P.recommends

June 13, 2024

The Running Deer

Jan was wonderful!!! She greeted us then showed us where to park in her large parking area next to the pool. Great bathroom with shower and even coffee for breakfast and a little fridge you can use. One of our favorite stops!

Location

South Pittsburg, Marion, Tennessee, United StatesTraditional, ancestral territory of ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Cherokee, East), S’atsoyaha (Yuchi), and Shawandasse Tula (Shawanwaki/Shawnee) First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking